Sustaining Zero-Fare Public Transit in a Post COVID-19 World: Conduct of Research Report (2024)
Chapter: CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
The objective of NCHRP 19-19, ‘Sustaining Zero-Fare Public Transit in a Post COVID-19 World: A Guide for State DOTs,’ is to develop a practitioner tool supporting decisions to start, extend, or terminate fare-free transit operations.
The focus has been on long-term sustainability, providing a practitioner-ready tool for evaluating benefits and risks, and background information for effective communication at all government levels and with stakeholders. Guiding principles have framed the development of a process and products to assist state DOTs in considering or implementing zero fares. The goal is not just to make a decision but to equip decision-makers with the information needed for an informed choice.
While primarily from a state DOT perspective, the findings also support decisions at the transit agency level, and the methodology can be applied for post-implementation analysis.
To achieve research objectives, the project involved four phases with seven tasks. It began with an extensive literature review, including international and US-centric academic literature, Cooperative Research Program reports, and state DOT reports. Stakeholder interviews followed, covering various states, transit authorities, and funding sources. Insights from this phase and discussions with the project panel informed the development of four scenarios, illustrating transitions to zero-fare transit.
A spreadsheet tool was created to analyze fare-free operations quantitatively and qualitatively. The tool, agnostic in nature, offers a comprehensive view of potential costs and benefits without providing a decision recommendation. Additionally, a communication strategies document was developed, guiding users in selecting cost-effective communications and outreach strategies for conveying the fare-free evaluation knowledge base and assisting in communication if the evaluation outcome is negative, or maximizing implementation if fare-free transit is deemed the best solution.
